Sony has confirmed the DualSense Edge, the company's first premium PlayStation controller, has less battery life than the DualSense.
In response to a query raised by TechRadar Gaming during a recent hands-on session with the new PS5 controller, Sony confirmed that, due to the new features the DualSense Edge boasts, it would have less battery life than the standard DualSense PS5 controller due to its new features.
"The DualSense Edge wireless controller’s operating time is moderately shorter than the original DualSense wireless controller because we’ve included many more features within the same form factor and ergonomic design as the original DualSense controller," a Sony spokesperson told TechRadar Gaming. "We wanted to strike a good balance between wireless operating time and delivering robust, high-performance features. Additionally, the longer USB braided cable is also great for competitive players who prefer playing with a wired connection to avoid wireless interference – this option preserves battery life."
Unwelcome news
The standard DualSense PS5 controller's battery life is one of the gamepad's biggest weaknesses. We've previously questioned whether it has gotten worse over time – and at times, have even found ourselves wishing it had lithium batteries instead.
At launch, we found three DualSense could hold around 12 hours of charge, but, over time, we've found that it can often konk out after just six.
One of our biggest hopes for the DualSense Edge was that it would improve upon this issue, so we're surprised to see it's somehow gotten even worse. While Sony doesn't specify how many hours of battery life the Edge has, we can't imagine it'll be more than 12 hours at a push.
Considering the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 has a whopping 40 hours of battery life, we can't help but be disappointed by this news. Especially as the gamepad has a hefty price of $199.99/£209.99/AU$339.95.
Without official confirmation on battery life hours from Sony, we may not know exactly how long this gamepad will last until its release on January 26, 2023. But, given the gamepad's price tag, that's a big gamble to take unless you're happy playing wired.
